Love isn't Blind, Just Pissed
by Mythaya
Summary: A strange blind girl wants to fight Kenshin, but Sanosuke steps in. Madness ensues as she becomes a part of the group. 7's up! yay me, Review?
1. Blind Fight Challenge

"Why do you boys always want to go eat at Akabeka?" Kaoru asked as they trudged down the street.  Yahiko and Sanosuke looked to one another not wanting to have anything thrown at their head for their answer.

Kenshin merely smiled, "Perhaps they haven't yet grown accustomed to home cooked meals Miss Kaoru."  He looked back at the other two who were nodding and thanking him silently.  "Besides, I'm sure Tae doesn't mind all the good business, that I am sure of."

"At least now someone pays for Sanosuke when he eats," Yahiko laughed.  The retired gang fighter grabbed him by the back of the neck lifting him to his eye level.  "Just kidding of course."

"Right kid," Sanosuke growled lowering him.

"I'm not a kid!" he snapped back.  The two started arguing as they reached the doors of the Akabeka until someone caught their attention.

A staff gently prodded the ground before bare feet marking the way around any walls or obstacles.  One of the feet had a bandage wrapped around it leading all the way up the thin leg, although none could see that as it was covered by lose fitting black pants that obviously did not belong to the owner but fit nonetheless.

Most people along the street moved past, only a few stopped to stare at the girl with a thick black bandage over her eyes.  She walked tall, proud, smiling at younger children who looked up to her.  A large black kimono hung draping from her arms, bandages wrapped around pigtailed hair covering all strands, and a confident air followed in her wake.  She reached a small quartet of people and stopped looking up.

"Excuse me, but would on of you happen to be Kenshin Himura?" she asked politely.

Sanosuke stared at the girl in curiosity, she looked right at him, even though she was asking for Kenshin.  _Then again, these days no one looks for Kenshin without wanting him dead or in a fight._  Kenshin stepped forward to the girl, "I am Kenshin Himura."

"Ah good," the girl smiled.  She tilted her head looking away, bandages continuously shielding her eyes.  "I have been searching for you for quite some time.  I wish to learn something from you."  Sanosuke was getting very suspicious of this girl, she was being too nice and he knew it would end badly.  "But seeing as how I don't think it right if it were given with nothing in return.  So I challenge you Kenshin, fight me: I win, you tell me what I want, you win, and I go my way."  _I knew it, it was too easy!_

He stepped in front of Kenshin balling his fists, "No way.  You want at Kenshin you don't go anywhere unless you go through me."

"This is not necessary," Kenshin warned putting a hand on his shoulder, "that it is not."  He shrugged off the hand bringing up his hands defensively.  "I thank you for your kindness Sanosuke, go ahead, but do not hurt her."

"Fine then, I will go through you to Kenshin if need be," the girl growled not happy about the situation.  "Let us not fight here, children and other innocents might be in harm's way."  Sanosuke nodded, then blushed and agreed verbally.

"I know a spot, it'll do the trick."  He described to her the place where he and Kenshin first fought and his zanbatou was broken.  She sighed memorizing all the places he described and nodded turning away.  "So that's it?" he laughed.  "You think you can walk all the way there?"

She scoffed back over her shoulder, "I will manage.  Meet me there as soon as you can."

"The fool following the blind," Kaoru chuckled to herself as they traveled towards the meeting site where the strange girl was soon to battle Sanosuke Sagara.


	2. The Fight & The Named

However, I feel so loved; besides I have many good ideas for the fight scene!  I hope this one ends up being longer, because boy do I have plans for the rest of the story.  The only problem is getting from here to those good spots.  Oh well, R&R? Please? Any kinda review, except for stuff like "you suck this is pure shit". THANKS!

Also, don't own Kenshin crew, but I do own the MYSTERIOUS GIRL, yas gots ta wiggle ur fingers while ya say it!---that was 4 u Amanda!

"So are you really going to beat up a girl Sano?  I mean isn't that kind of lame?  You'd probably win easy, but wouldn't it be funny if she kicked your ass!" Yahiko started laughing maniacally as he walked with a calm and cool Sanosuke.

He had been calm and cool, but now he was annoyed and very angry.  He stopped in his tracks glaring down the small wannabe samurai, "Shut up.  You say one more word and I'll go after you as a warm up."  That kept him quiet for a bit longer, but both Kenshin and Sanosuke were still wary of the strange girl who carried her confidence of fighting them higher than any they'd seen.  "It's not that she's cocky," he had said to Kenshin earlier, "she's just aware of her limitations and all.  Being blind, but still confident that she could fight someone like the Manslayer with a hope of winning."

"I almost admire her," Kaoru sighed as she walked with Kenshin.  they had been keeping an eye on Yahiko and Sanosuke the whole walk to the old fighting grounds; Kenshin feared for the reasons why the girl wished to fight, and Kaoru was worried that Sanosuke would go too rough and hurt the blind girl.  "I know it'd be rude, but I'm curious to know how she became blind.  She kind of gives the feeling that she wasn't always like this."

"Kenshin?" Sanosuke asked jerking his head.  The signal brought the samurai closer and the two drew themselves away from the others.  "Have you been hearing something?"

"Yes I believe something has been running through the trees, that it has."  Both men were now even further on their guard, suspicious of every twitch in the trees around them, the water against the banks not too far from the trail, and Kaoru and Yahiko beginning to argue.

"You little brat!" Kaoru snapped.  "When are you going to learn to be kind to people and treat them with respect?"

"Gah," he whined, "leave me alone!"  They began yelling once more until they caught the glare emitting from Sanosuke's brown eyes.  They finally reached the clearing where the first fight between Manslayer and Zanza had commenced.  Everyone stood calmly waiting, all except Yahiko who couldn't stand the silence.  "Where is she?"

There was the slight snap of a twig and all eyes turned to the opposite end of the clearing.  The girl stood waiting staff before her, and dark kimono gently rippling in the breeze.  "You would have arrived sooner if were not for your companions am I correct?" she had a slight smirk on her face.  "No matter now, you have arrived, so we shall have our fight."

Sanosuke stood ahead of his friends nodding, "I'm ready when you are."

"We should move out of the way Miss Kaoru, that we should," Kenshin warned pulling her and Yahiko out of the way.  "Good luck Sanosuke, but be-"

"Careful yeah I know!" he snapped again.  The two squared off tense in their lack of movement, anticipation crackled in the air like it was a living creature circling the two.  "Ok!  Let's go!" he yelled rushing forward.  The mysterious girl didn't even move until he had almost reached her, only then to dodge aside bandage wrapped hair swinging in the air.  He swung up again attacking her with punches and yet she was still able to slip away from him as if she could see him through the bandage.  _That isn't possible through, those bandages are solid black and thick at that too!  She's got to have them wrapped around her eyes at least three times, but she can still block all my moves._  He finally paused his attack slipping away towards a small tree.  "How can you possible do that?"

"Do what?" she snapped twirling the staff above her head.

"Block my attacks, you can't even see me."

She laughed slamming the staff into the ground, "You don't need your eyes if you can hear your opponents before they reach you."  She ran towards the tree planting her staff into the ground and launching her body at the tree.  She swung herself around the staff as she pushed away from the tree, slamming her feet into Sanosuke's side.  He tumbled down across the grass landing quite far from where she landed after her tree stunt.  "Had enough?"

He lay on his back propping himself up with one hand, "Not quite yet."  _I still have a few tricks up my sleeve, and I guess it'll do better to beat her with something she's never seen._  His hand dug around in the dirt, he was right it was the exact spot he hand been looking for.  Digging deeper with his free hand he found the thick worn handle and started to rise.  Pulling the large buried object with him he held it back in one of the old stances.  Dust and dirt fell from the giant weapon like rain from the sky, sunlight glinting off the harsh edged metal, and a smile growing on his face.

"I thought Kenshin sliced his zanbatou in half!" Kaoru gasped gripping his shoulder.

"I had it melded again," Sanosuke smirked holding it proudly, "I buried it here so that if I ever wanted it I could get it, and besides nobody else knew where it was."  Yahiko beamed, he was amazed at how often Sanosuke would still resort to his old ways of a gang fighter.  Kenshin thought him clever, but knew it was part of him he never left behind.  Kaoru wanted to hit him over the head for not telling anyone that he had hidden the massive weapon.

The girl's head twitched in his direction moving slowly again as she tried to decipher the strange sounds and arguments.  She finally broke into an awed smile, "So.  I finally must come up against a zanbatou, I thought they were all gone, but I suppose there's no mercy for the weary traveler.  I've gone up against many different types of weapons-swords, knives, rocks, other bo fighters, and even a few specialized weapons-but the only remaining zanbatou fighter?"  She took up a stance with her staff in a ready attack position, "I'll enjoy this.  A thrill, a challenge!"

"Now you're talking my language!" Sanosuke cheered.  He clicked the zanbatou into a more comfortable position and smirked.  The two rushed forward without a word; Sanosuke swinging the massive sword to the side, and the girl flipping into the air soaring above his head using her staff as a pole to launch her up.  He caught her out of the corner of her eye noticing that most of her moves brought her high up and carried through with his swing rounding on her again.  As he suspected, she pushed herself into the air again, and as she did he switched to carrying the sword in one hand and grabbed her staff swinging it sharply to his right.  She slammed into the ground with a thud, and after a moment's shock brought herself up again.  "Dodge this!" he hollered swinging downward before she had a chance to replace her staff.

"Oh no!" Kaoru gasped thinking she was dead for sure.  The dust settled and the girl had rolled away into a crouch just a few feet from the crater made by the powerful blast.  "She's alright?  She has to move as fast as Kenshin!"

"Maybe not that fast," Kenshin sighed.  A thin cut appeared on the girl's cheek as result from the attack.  "She did not get away unharmed, that she did not.  She has great skill," he added watching sometimes able to predict her movements sometimes unable to.  Her style was like none he had ever seen before in his life; it must have been a mix between more than one, in a way to create her own style unique to herself only.  This was something he learned many people did to hide themselves better from their enemies, it was something people who did not fight often or had build up little reputation as to protect themselves.  _She's obviously had a difficult life._

"Now do you give up?" Sanosuke asked her placing his zanbatou in check.  She just growled, her head tilted downward and away as she felt the cut lightly.  She rose up with the assistance of her staff and stared in his direction, her eyes and emotion hidden by the black bandages.  "Fine then, be that way!"  He ran forward swinging his zanbatou; she stabbed her staff at the very edge of his weapon launching herself onto it.  Feeling the change in weight he stopped in mid-swing holding it a high angle.  _Where the hell did she go?  I don't see her anywhere!_  He looked up to the top of his zanbatou and reeled back in shock; there she stood with  the staff clicking into a nick in the massive sword and her standing precariously at the tip.

She smirked for a moment hearing his gasp, but straightened her face again.  "If I move this staff even one little inch, I will come sliding down the length of your own weapon crashing head first with your skull.  It's an advantage point, being up here and all, but it is not one I can hold for too long."  As she spoke he saw the reality of her threat and had begun tilting the sword gently so it was no longer aimed at him.  Kenshin, Yahiko, and Kaoru were all staring in disbelief, it truly did seem that now Sanosuke would be able to end the fight, she would fall, and he would have her at his mercy.  Yet only Sanosuke saw the slight change in her stance that made him change his mind.

_The edge of her staff: it's not in the nick all the way, and she won't be able to control her fall.  She could kill herself!  _He spun the zanbatou around so the hilt was in front of him once more.  This sudden movement made the staff slip all the way from its hold and she began to slide down against her will.  Sano braced himself as she covered the last few feet of the swords length and rammed into him both of them flying to the ground and the zanbatou falling from Sanosuke's hands.  As they hit the ground rolling, Sanosuke's hand slipped near her face and the black bandage came off in his hand.  She continued to roll further away from him, a firm grip still on her bo staff.

As she began to pull herself onto her knees her eyes blinked, as one would trying to adjust to a brighter light.  Sanosuke and the others all watched her, curious as to her uncharacteristic actions.  She shook her head a few times sending the bandaged pigtails whipping across her face.  The girl finally looked up at Sano, who was rising to his feet, and she followed suit never taking her eyes off him.  "I honestly thought that Zanza of the Zanbatou would be well," she paused raising her eyebrows, "bigger."

"You can see?" Kaoru gasped.

"You lied to us!" Sanosuke hollered waving the bandage at her getting angry.  "You said you were blind!"  The others muttered or nodded their agreement of the lie.

She laughed at them as a teacher would a foolish pupil.  "I never said I was blind," she admitted honestly giving a slight shrug as she went on.  "Everyone assumes because I wear the bandage that I'm blind.  Nobody seems to bother thinking I do this to enhance my skills."  She took up another fighting stance with her staff, her blue gray eyes piercing and haunting now that they were revealed.  "Let us finish this!"

"Fine," he growled back wrapping the bandage around his hand.  "Now I'll do this my way.  Easier to hear me than see me is it?  We'll find out soon enough," he grinned.  The two ran for each other, but now he could slip in and out of her attacks with the staff and even flung it away from her.  She stared at where it was thrown in disbelief, but then turned back glaring at him.  _Well now, it seems I've made you mad.  Good.  It'll make this much more interesting._  She lunged at him, but he was too strong and threw her to the ground sitting on her stomach and holding a balled fist above her.  "Now do you give up?  I've won fair and square you know," he smiled softly.  She tried to squirm away and get out from under him, but his strength and weight kept her pinned down.

"You've won," she sighed in defeat.  He got off and pulled her up, but she pulled away from him looking away.  She had failed to win the fight and began to walk away towards her staff,  picked it up, and continued away into the forest.

"Hey where are you going?" Sano asked half laughing.

She turned back scowling seeing an obvious answer, "I lost."

"You're a brave fighter miss, that is true enough," Kenshin answered stepping closer to her.  "You obviously have something honorable that you are fighting for, and I will answer your questions on one condition."

The girl's eyes reflected confusion even if her face didn't.  Sanosuke could only assume she hadn't seen kindness like this in a long while and half smiled at the thought.  Kenshin really had that affect on people, and sometimes it annoyed the hell out of him.  "What condition?"

"You tell us your name and stay with us for a while," Kenshin said grinning broadly.

She stared at him jaw dropping.  _Yeah I know exactly how you feel lady.  _She got over it and sighed in annoyance completely facing the group with a small bow.  "My name is Amaterasu Sorayinu."


	3. No Rest for the Blind

Wow, I finally got the sucker updated.  If you liked the lil' fight with Sano and Ama, wait till you see the next one!  The only problem is getting from here to those good spots, as usual.  Oh well, R&R? Please?  THANKS!

I own Ama…so there.  Anyone know how to say "wolf" in Japanese?  I would REALLY like that!  Cus it helps a bit with the story plot and all.

"That's an interesting name," Kaoru commented staying close to the girl's side as they started for the dojo.  "I don't think I've ever heard of it before, you aren't from around this area are you?"

The young lady just gave her a half glance as she continued to finish wrapping her bandages back over her eyes.  The staff she carried was slipped into the folds of her kimono on her back.  "That would be because most of the Sorayinu family is dead and gone."  Kaoru had to halt in her steps holding a hand to her heart watching as she walked on past her.  She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up at Sanosuke, who had been watching the little scene.

Kaoru sighed walking on again, "I know exactly how she feels too."

"I know you do, but hey don't forget we've been so accustomed to Kenshin and his big happy grins I think we've forgotten what it's like to deal with harsh people."  He grinned down at her keeping an eye on their guest.  _What is it she wants to know so badly from an Imperial Officer?  Maybe it has something to do with her family, I wouldn't be surprised._  The girl stepped back a few feet away from Kenshin and Yahiko, who were walking together, and looked away from them in a world of her own.  He patted Kaoru's shoulder jerking his head towards the girl.  She was about to speak but he trotted off to Amaterasu's side smiling.  "Hi there."

"What is it you wish of me now Zanza?" Amaterasu sighed taking her staff in hand as they walked.

He recoiled feeling a bit hurt by her harshness, but smiled again knowing he dealt with it from Megumi all the time.  "Since Kenshin's being so nice to you, and inviting you to stay with him and Kaoru and Yahiko at the dojo, don't you think you could be a bit more kind.  Or at least talkative?"  She peered up at him, so he shot her a smile (having figured out that she would be able to judge the looks on his face even with the bandages).  "Just a little?"

She shook her head in defeat, "Forgive me, I am usually more friendly to people.  I suppose I've been too much of a lone wolf these days, maybe I've forgotten how to talk to people after so long."  She sighed again smiling sadly.  She gently prodded his foot with her staff laughing as he jumped into the air.

"Now what did you do that for?" he squeaked.

"Be quiet then," she hushed.  The others were now all ahead of them by at least ten feet.  "Kenshin?" she called out.

"Yes Miss Amaterasu?" the man questioned turned around.

"Go on ahead to the shrine, there's a few things I wanted to ask Zanza.  He'll take me there when we're done," she concluded.  She looked up to Sanosuke giving him a look to convince him.  He nodded waving off the others, so as they left he grabbed her arm.

"What the hell are you up to?" he asked her.  At first he thought that she held him back for a reason involving the two of them and a secluded place, but that idea was soon shattered.

She pointed her staff off into the woods, "There.  I thought it would be better to get the others away before the fighting broke out."

"Fighting?" Sanosuke asked raising an eyebrow.  At that moment, six or seven swordsman burst through the trees yelling into attack.  "Oh, this fighting."  The fighters formed a circle around the two forcing them back to back for defense.  Sano peered over his shoulder at Amaterasu who had her staff at the ready.  "Want your bandana off?"

"No need," she smiled.  "There are three on your side."  He snapped his head around seeing that she was exactly right in her assumption.  "Unless you want to switch places with me?"  The fighters brandished their axes and wooden swords to intimidate them, but it had no effect on either of the two.

"Well now," Sano grinned cracking his knuckles, "how do you suggest we do that, not like we have a lot maneuvering room and all."  He reached back holding her waist gently; he felt her jump a bit from it in shock.  "You don't look too heavy, so need a hand?"

"What a gentleman," she laughed.  He spun around putting both hands on her waist, lifted her up above his head, and cautiously tossed her behind him.  He tilted his head back to check up on her, and she seemed to be doing fine as she slammed foot first into one of their attackers.  She spun her staff defensively knocking away a weapon.  Amaterasu caught his eyes, "Don't just stand there!  Defend yourself!"

"Huh?" he asked.  He felt someone trying to grab him from behind and whipped his fist over his shoulder breaking the man's nose and knocking him back.  She shook her head and went back to defending herself as he whipped around punching out a man with a very large axe.  The other two drop their weapons and jumped on him at the same time making him bend his knees ever so slightly.  "Get offa me you idiots!" he growled straightening up.  The fell off, but quickly rose with their weapons in hands.

The taller one held a true blade out to Sanosuke, "Get out of our way.  We are not here for you.  If you insist on stopping us, we will kill you."  Sanosuke refused to move from his spot, so he decided to just check up on his hand wraps.  "Then you'll die!"

They ran forward at him swing wildly with the weapons, but none of them touched the gang fighter as he glided through the attacks without receiving any of the intended blows.  _This is getting boring, so I think I'll end it._  He whipped one leg under the sword carrier's feet and grabbed the blade before he could attack swinging it into a tree.  He didn't even check to see if it stayed caught within it before slamming a punch into the other's jaw knocking him cold to the ground.  He spun around still hearing a few sounds of fighting from Amaterasu.  She hadn't taken out any of the fighters; all three were just kept at bay by her staff.  "Need help?" he asked as he lifted the sword fighter into the air.

"Wondered when you would finish," she sighed pushing them all back with one blow.

"Are you sure?" he was worried seeing as she hadn't done anything to harm them.  But his doubts were soon dissipated.  Within a few seconds, she had pummeled her staff into one's stomach and twirled it over her head hitting another in the face.  She combated with the axe wielder for another five seconds and then effectively knocked it away.  He staggered back nervous so she turned her back on him smiling at Sanosuke.  As her attacker stepped forward, she leaned forward on the staff kicking behind her without a second glance.

"Now that only one is left," she concluded walking towards him, "we can ask him what he planned on doing with us."  Sano smiled and lifted the man in his grasp towards her.  "Now kind sir, please do tell us what you planned on accomplishing by attacking me and Zanza."  Sano frowned at the informality, but grinned when she slapped the silent man upside the head.  "Now.

"Tell us," she hissed into is face.

"You know who sent me girl," he gasped.  "He'll find out soon enough where you're hiding and he'll come for you!  You can't hide forever."  She narrowed her eyes from behind the bandage and curled her fist landing a firm punch in his face.  He fell limp into Sanosuke's grip as Amaterasu walked off back in the direction that Kenshin and the others had gone.  He looked at the man then tossed him aside in a bored fashion gazing after her for a moment.  _She is hiding something.  I knew it all along!  So some jerk is after her, and been searching for her for a while I'm guessing.  She's off searching for someone as well, but it can't be him otherwise she would have found him. Why is it we always pick up the ones with issues?_

"Don't go off without me now," he teased catching up with her, "you don't even know the way!"  She looked up at him as he laughed warmly, but only shook her head at him like he was a child.  She picked her pace up a little so she was walking right before him.  Sano glared at the back of her head in annoyance, boy was she treating him like shit.

"I wonder what the reason was or Amaterasu and Sano to stay behind," Kaoru wondered aloud as they reached the Kamiya dojo.

Yahiko sneaked up behind her grinning with a twisted thought, "Maybe they hit it off and wanted to spend more time alone!"  Kaoru smacked him in the back of the head sharply sending him flying into the door.  "Ow, did you really have to hit me?"

"Yes," she growled.  "How dare you assume Amaterasu is like that!  You don't know anything about her and you go and say some smart remark like that."

"Why aren't you defending Sanosuke Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin asked as the doctor's two grandchildren came running for him.

"Well, isn't it obvious?  I would almost expect something like that from him."  Kenshin only shook his head feeling a little bad for his cocky friend.  Ayame and Sasume leaped into his arms hugging him and shouting Uncle Kenny and other greetings.  "But the most important thing is if they're safe or not."

"Of course we are."  They all spun to see Sanosuke walking up to the dojo side by side with Amaterasu.

Kaoru run up to them punching Sano in the arm, "Where were you?  I thought you said you'd only be a we seconds after us!"

Amaterasu put a hand on her shoulder taking off the bandages from her eyes, "I am truly sorry Miss Kaoru.  I did not mean to make you worry, although I am deeply touched that you did so in the first place.  Mister Himura?" she called looking past the assistant master to him.  "Why is it you wished me to come here?"

"Uncle Kenny," Ayame asked whispering to him, "who is that lady?"

"Yeah Uncle Kenny, who is she?" Suzume chorused.

"I'm sorry.  This is Amaterasu.  She's going to be staying here for a few days."

"She is?" Kaoru, Sano, and Yahiko asked.

Amaterasu was equally shocked, "I am?"

Kenshin set down the girls smiling back up at the small group.  "If it isn't too much trouble Miss Kaoru.  Perhaps we could speak over dinner tonight about the little predicament we were in this morning."

"I suppose that would be alright," Kaoru thought aloud.  Then she smiled as brightly as possible, "We could all go to the Akebeko!  After all, we never did get to have lunch there!"  Yahiko and the girls automatically cheered and started dragging Kenshin in the general direction.  Ayame stayed behind looking up at Amaterasu curiously.

"Miss Amaterzu?" she asked innocently.

Amaterasu chuckled and knelt down at the young girl's level taking the bandage from her eyes.  "Why don't you just call me Ama?  Much easier to say isn't it?"  The young girl nodded smiling brightly.  Amaterasu had a warm smile on her face, "What was your question?"

"Why are you dressed like a boy?"  Kaoru nearly fainted in the embarrassment of the question and Sanosuke couldn't stop laughing.  One of his first impressions of her was that she was most definitely dressed in clothes that were not her own.

Yet this rude and childish question only made the stranger chuckle a little, "For my line of work, they are much more comfortable.  And these were my father's, so they mean very much to me as a sentimental value."  Ayame smiled in understanding and grabbed her hand as if she had been staying with them for years.

"Come on!  We don't want to be late at the Akebeko!"  As she was dragged away she took a quick look back and Sanosuke and Kaoru laughing in confusion.  "Come on Kaoru!"

"We better catch up Missy," Sano laughed chasing her down, "otherwise we'll probably starve!"

"You better pay for your own share this time!" she screamed at him.


	4. Heartbreaker, Reasons Revealed

Thanks to a very wonderful reviewer, wink u know who u b, I have much more confidence to write this now.  This chapter is SO long, I don't know why I kept writing either.  I finally found out what "wolf" was in Japanese.  Now Ama's last name makes much more sense in the story, tha'ts kind of why I used it over and over again in the chap.  I don't know if I should bother updating the other chapters with the new name or not.  REVIEW!  Begging will commence if not, and there will be more exciting things later.  This is a bit of a depressing chap, well I think it is.

"Um, Ayame?" Amaterasu asked the young child dragged her through the streets.  She had to stoop a bit to keep hold of her hand, so she was not having an easy time.  "Where exactly are we going?  I don't see the others anywhere!"

"I know where the Akebeko is," the little girl huffed.  Amaterasu sighed and thought herself lucky that she at least had taken off her blindfold, so she tried to slow down the young girl by wrapping the black fabric around her free hand.  This did not halt the girl in the least.

Just when she was starting to loose hope of ever finding the others, a white figure stepped in front of the swooping up Ayame onto their shoulders.  "No where do you think you're leading Miss Ama around eh kid?"

"Hi Sano!" she laughed mussing with his hair.

"I'm glad it was you," Amaterasu chuckled.  Zanza looked up curiously as Ayame amused herself with braiding part of his hair that was standing straight up.  "I was about to punch your lights out for kidnapping her."

He raised an eyebrow and was about to speak until he felt a sharp tug at his head.  "OW!  Just what is it you're doing to my head kid?"  She only giggled and pointed in the direction they had been heading.

"We'll be late for the Akebeko!  Come on!  Yahiko will eat all the food!"  The little girl kicked her little feet trying to egg him onward.

"Alright, alright!" he laughed.  "Well come on then Miss Ama, let's get going."  He started off down the road with the little girl on his shoulders laughing and playing with the girl's feet and making her giggle.  _He's quite the pushover when it comes to these people.  From what I heard, Zanza left people with nightmares._  Amaterasu chuckled to herself following along with them.  "You haven't' had beef stew until you've eaten at the Akebeko."

"Best in town?" Ama asked laughing.  Ayame started again with her braiding making a second and third one in his hair.  Sanosuke smiled nodding which made the poor girl on his shoulders bop around a little.  "Be careful!  Don't wan her to fall!"

"Huh?" he steadied the girl again.  "Sorry about that kid.  Hang on tight huh?  You're so tiny I forget you're up there."  She giggled again smiling brighter than before.  Amaterasu walked in silence next to them listening to the young girl babble on and on about all the fun things she had done with 'Uncle Kenny' and 'Aunty Kaoru' and Yahiko and Sanosuke and someone else named Megumi.  "Kid you got a mouth that's faster than any horse you know that?" he teased cringing in mock pain.

"She can't help it," Ama defended.  "Little children love talking to people they like.  If exciting things happen in their lives they love to tell it to everyone around them they trust."

Zanza cocked an eyebrow looking down at her, "And how did you become a kid expert?"

She stayed silent for a few moments but looked up again feeling awkward.  It had been a long time since she had talked freely with anyone, and even longer since she talked about her home.  "There were a lot of children in the town I lived in.  The older kids were supposed to watch over them, but they were too busy doing other things.  I never had much to do, so I was naturally the one they ran to.  It didn't help that most of the older kids were boys and were quite harsh to the younger children.  They thought of me as someone they trusted."

"And because you have pretty eyes!" Ayame squealed from her perch.  Ama blushed furiously and looked to the ground closing her eyes.

"Shouldn't be embarrassed by them Miss Ama," Zanza said quietly looking down at her.  "Shouldn't hide them either, I don't think I've ever seen silver eyes like that."  She nearly missed a step once he had said that.  _No one's ever spoken like that to me before.  At least not in a good way, and not in a way that it was kind either._  "There it is up ahead.  Looks like the others decided to wait for us."

"So it does," she sighed looking up the path.  There stood the red haired man of the Imperialist army, smiling and laughing with the others as if nothing else in his life had ever happened.  _He has to know, if he doesn't my life might as well end now.  I will find him!_

"There you are Miss Sorayookami," Kenshin smiled as she approached with Sanosuke and Ayame.  "We were wondering if she had gotten you into any trouble.  Is everything alright?"

"Fine," Sano laughed setting the young girl on the ground.  "This little tyke just dragged poor Ama around the whole town, but I think we're ok."

"Well let's all go get a table!  I'm starved!" Kaoru cheered.  They all filed in with Ayame and Suzume both staying close to Amaterasu.  Kenshin caught this and smiled a little.  _It's a good thing to see them both taking a liking to her.  She's a very fierce opponent when she wants to be, but I think Miss Sorayookami is kinder than we've been led to believe._  He sat in between Kaoru and Yahiko while the two girls both plopped down in between Sanosuke and Amaterasu.  She seemed very shocked by this and looked like she almost didn't know what to do.  Eventually she smiled at them giving a playful wink to Ayame, who giggled uncontrollably for about thirty seconds.

Tae wandered over to them smiling and seeming not to notice their extra member, "Hey y'all!  What can I get you folks today?"  She then saw Amaterasu for the first time and stopped, "Oh hello there!  Who's your new friend?"

"That's Sanosuke's girlfriend," Yahiko teased smirking.  Sano reached over the table and grabbed the kid by the throat lifting him into the air as he stood.

"What was that you little brat?  You want to live to ever see Kyoto?" Sano growled towering over the table.

"Please," Yahiko laughed, "like you could ever hurt me.  Kenshin would kick your butt again if you tried anything."

"Want to test that?"

"Go ahead!  I dare ya!"  Sanosuke dropped him to the side of the table and started yelling at him catching the attention on the entire restaurant.

"You punk ass kid, you don't have any respect for anyone!  I seem to remember the first time you ever saw me fight you were shaking in fear!"

Yahiko growled back, "I was not!  And I'm not a kid!"

"Sure you aren't," Sano scoffed, "Little Yahiko."

"DON'T CALL ME LITTLE!" the young boy screamed at the top of his lungs.  He reached for his sword ready to beat the gang fighter into submission.  "You'll pay for that Sanosuke!"

He lunged for the taller man swinging wildly and seeming to forget all of his lessons on the Kamiya Kashin style in those brief moments.  Sanosuke only dodged effortlessly, until he had backed into another table and fell over.  He was lucky that there was only a bottle of sake or two on it.  He grabbed one with his spare hand blocking Yahiko's swing of his sword.

"Oh please stop it you two!" Tae begged hiding along with most of the patrons.  "Please don't fight!  Your tab is bad enough as is Sano, I don't need you to have to pay for property damage!"

"I think your pleas are falling on deaf ears Tae," Kaoru sighed.  "Kenshin what are we going to do about them?"

The former Battousai looked down at the two girls hiding behind him and pat their heads in reassurance.  "I'll go stop them," he sighed starting for them.

"You two are the most childish human beings I have ever met!"  Kenshin, Kaoru, Tae, and the rest of the patrons of the Akebeko all looked up in shock.  Sanosuke and Yahiko were back in the aisle in between tables, but Amaterasu had joined them.  She was facing Sanosuke, and she had Yahiko's weapon firmly grasped in her hand as if it were a mere fly trying to wriggle free.  She was glaring at the both of them were harsh eyes that seemed like crystals of ice trapped in her face.  "I can't believe you!

"Have you no respect for anyone else around you?  Not only was that a petty reason to start a fight, but a stupid one as well."  She tugged lightly on Yahiko's sword pulling it sharply from his grasp.  She looked down at him coldly, "You need to learn manners.  If you are known for having an attitude, I don't care, but complete strangers shouldn't have to put up with it."

Sanosuke smirked at him, "You tell him."

"Don't think I wasn't going to scold you either," she half laughed rounding on him.  "A grown man picking fights with a little boy.  You're dumber than he is!  I agree that it was a rude comment and I nearly wanted to slap him myself, but that is NO reason to start a fight here."  She calmly handed the sword back and bowed to the rest of the customers, "Please forgive them and myself.  I am truly sorry to have disrupted your meals."  She turned and sat back down at the table giving the two boys a look that dared them not to sit down.  Once they did Kenshin caught her mutter, "If you wanted to fight you should have taken it outside."

Sanosuke crossed his arms and grunted looking away from her, Yahiko saw this and did the same.  Tae came back after fixing the table sighing with a bit of relief, "Well.  Now can I take your order?  As long as you don't start any more fights that is."

"I think the usual would be best," Kenshin sighed sitting down as well.  The others joined and nodded their agreement.  Kenshin looked to Amaterasu as she was having the 'usual' explained to her by Dr. Gensai's grandchildren.  _I've never seen eyes like hers.  Comforting and soft one moment, then harsh and cold the next.  It really hits hard knowing my eyes were once like that, that it does._  She laughed at the two girls politely warming up to them.  Kaoru touched his hand lightly.

"Is something wrong Kenshin?" she asked.

"No nothing at all Miss Kaoru," he laughed.  "Just thinking about how well Miss Sorayookami handled that situation.  You were quite commanding, that you were."

"Well they were being quite foolish," she chuckled.  Sano glared at her, but she ignored it.  "Besides, I think our poor waitress was going to pass out if they caused any serious damage."

"Yeah last time Sano was in a big fight he went through a wall!" Yahiko laughed.

Sanosuke slammed a fist by his knee glaring, "Watch it punk.  Or you won't live to know what it's like to get laid."  Kenshin and Kaoru were both shocked at his brash statement, then again coming from a man who spent his life on the streets it wasn't odd to hear him say it.

"Zanza!" Amaterasu scolded.  She tried not to smile, but started laughing, "That was uncalled for."  After a moment she laughed freely, "But it was funny."

"Ah so she does have a sense of humor!" Sanosuke laughed.

"Of course I do!" she defended looking hurt.  "I've just had it rough lately; no time for jokes and all.  Too much humor can get you in trouble."

"Sanosuke knows about that first hand," Yahiko muttered.

"And so do you," Kaoru snapped whapping him on the head.  The meal was slightly uneventful, except for when Sano and Yahiko nearly burst into another fight over the last piece of tofu.  The meal had finally ended and the check was all that was left to handle.  "Here you go Tae, this should be enough for it."

Amaterasu grabbed her hand and handed Tae some money of her own.  "Don't you dare think of paying.  You are being hospitable enough as is, even though I'm a stranger who tried to fight your friend a few hours ago.  It will be no set back to me, so I'm paying."

"I, uh," Kaoru stammered taking her hand and money back, "thank you.  I suppose."  Ama only nodded her head in respect as they rose to leave.  "That was very nice of you."

"The least I could do," she answered.  Sano quickened his pace to join Kenshin and Yahiko.  The girls both caught the Doctor's eye as he left a patient's house nearby and returned home with him.

Sano gave a cautious glance to Ama as he spoke with Kenshin.  "Why do you think it is she wanted information so badly from an Imperialist officer?"

"I do not know, that I don't.  Whatever her reason it seems to affect her deeply."

"Think it has something to do with her family?" Sano asked thinking about her earlier conversations.

Kenshin looked back at the girls nodding his head, "Most likely.  Her face seems sadder when her family is mentioned than anything else.  They might have been high ranking officials in the Edo era."

"As long as it wasn't you." Sano sighed, "then I think we won't have a problem."

"I agree," Kenshin nodded.  He turned back calling out to the girls, "Miss Sorayookami?"

She looked up in response, "Yes Mister Himura?"

"Do you mind if, once we return to the dojo, we speak more of your reason for visiting earlier?"  She thought it over a nodded.  "That will make things much easier that it will."

The walk home was quiet, for once.

Kaoru made some tea for everyone and Kenshin, Ama, Sano, and her all sat down in one room while Yahiko was sent on errands.  Ama quietly sipped at her tea facing Kenshin and the others solemnly.  Sano refused to have any and stood with his arms crossed near the doorway, as was his custom when hearing most stories like this.  Kaoru sat protectively near Kenshin waiting patiently for one of them to speak.

"Sit down Zanza, you're being very distracting."  Amaterasu looked up at him smirking, "You act as if I'm going to run out the door for my life any second.  I'm the one who came to see Mister Himura if you recall."

"She has a point Sano, that she does," Kenshin smiled.  Sanosuke huffed and sat down where he was, still within grasp of the door.  "Alright, so why is it you came to me Miss Sorayookami?"

"As I said when I first met you in the meadow," she explained, "information is what I seek."  That answer didn't seem to be good enough for Sano.

"What kind of information?" he asked gruffly.

"Be patient Sano," Kenshin warned.

Ama only smiled at them for a moment.  The her face went grave and she became sad, "Ten years ago during the Revolution, my parents were part of the Imperialist army.  The members of the Sorayookami family were considered some of the best double agents ever to work for the beliefs of the revolution.  We lived just inside the borders of Kyoto where my parents were assigned to keep an eye on the Royalists.  When the fighting broke out, my parents had let in the Revolutionary army by the main gates and were about to join the fray.  For some reason, even though my father was aiding the Imperialists in the fight, they captured him saying he was an enemy."  She looked away tears welling in her eyes.  Kenshin looked upon her thoughtfully, she wouldn't let herself cry in front of anyone, but she didn't mind showing her feelings of pain as she spoke.  "No matter how many passwords, codes, or names my parents told them, the head officer didn't care.

"He said we were working for the Royalists and needed to die, that they wouldn't fool him so easily.  My father begged him, pleaded with him that if he didn't believe him to at least spare his wife and children."

She fell silent for a few moments pulling herself together.  It had obviously been a long time since she had ever told anyone her story.  Sano took the opportunity to move closer to the group asking, "So what happened?  Where were you during all this?"

"I-I was," she stammered staring off into space.  "I was fighting too.  I had one of my father's old swords in my hand and had been fighting by his side.  My hair was cut so short back then I could have easily been mistaken for a boy.  I was captured along with my mother, my father, and my little brother.  My father pleaded to have us let go.  He begged for them to find Master Himura and he would explain everything.

"The leader of the small squad who captured us, I'll never forget his words he said, 'If the Royalists think that fools who beg for their lives make good spies then they are fiercely mistaken.  If you wanted your family spared, you should have left them at home where they belong.'  My mother, she was so infuriated by his words shot away from the men holding her back and cut a slice in his arm.  She cursed him for being so stupid, for not believing them, for not doing a simple thing as finding the Battousai.  The leader was so angry that he automatically ordered my parents to be executed.  My brother and I were made to watch, so that we would be taught a lesson before death."

"What did you do?" Kaoru gasped.  "Weren't they going to kill you too?"

"Of course they were.  The moment that the leader ordered us to be brought forward, my brother stabbed his guard and I took the chance to knock mine out cold.  We both ran for our lives out into the forests beyond the city barriers.  They came after us of course, so I told my brother, 'Run for the east, and I to the west!  We'll meet in two days back at home!'  Then I ran, but before I had gone too far I took a glance back at my brother.  He was running faster than I had ever seen, but at least I knew he was safe.  When I went to our home to meet him, he never came.  I searched the whole city within the shadows for two straight days and I couldn't find him!  I finally realized that it was foolish to continue and I needed to move on before I was killed myself."  She looked back up into Kenshin's eyes begging, "Please Mister Himura.  I know that there must be someone who knows who that man was.  Who the leader of the band of Imperialists was.  I must know, if at least I can name the murderer of my family, for I cannot rest and will not give up my search until I have done so."

The others were quiet for a long time; it was a very tragic story.  However, they had heard many tragic stories of Revolutionary days, Sano's for instance.  And he was the first to speak, "So Kenshin, you got any idea who this jerk might be?"

Wow.  That was difficult for me.  I'm usually into the comedy and not into the drama.  Sigh.  Review?  Please?  Wuv to all who do especially those that help me come up with random in between scene ideas, hint!  I kinda liked my little cliffhanger thing I had going on there…heh.


	5. Sano's Day with the Girls

This is one of my crappier chapters so far.  My updating has been less than par cus I've got friends visiting and my summa skoo doesn't give me any advantages like it did last year.  The chapter is semi dull, just setting up a relationship, a FRIENDLY one thank you, and establishing a different side for Ama.  Besides, I always wanted Sano and the short ones to spend more time.

Review?  Ideas?  Don't yell at me?

Kenshin sat in thought for a while thinking over the story Amaterasu had just told.  He could tell by her voice alone that every word of it was true, and the fact that her father had asked for him specifically pushed him to help her more.  "I myself do not know the name of the man who was assigned that part of Kyoto that night," he finally said sadly.  Amaterasu's fists clenched in anger at the response.  "But I think I do know someone who might know."

"Really?" she asked looking up at him.

"He might be visiting town again in a few days," Kenshin smiled.  "And if you told him your story I'm sure he would tell you, that he would."

She looked at her feet again smiling sadly and closing her eyes.  For a while there was no noise in the room, until Sano's ears picked up something.  He stared at Amaterasu listening; she was crying, sobbing even, with tears running down her cheeks into her lap.  "Thank you Mister Himura.  For four years I've been trying to track this man down and this is the first lead I have ever gotten."

"I'm glad Kenshin could help you in finding your family," Kaoru smiled.

"If you'll excuse me," Amaterasu nodded standing up. She took the black bandage form around her hand and fixed it back to her eyes.  "I must find a hotel for the night.  If I'm going to stay in town for a few days I'll need a room."

"I thought you were staying here?" Kaoru asked getting up.

Amaterasu headed for the doorway shaking her head, "I couldn't ask you to do that."  Just as she had reached the door, Sano stepped before her blocking her path.  "Zanza what are-"

"Now listen here Missy," he barked pointing a finger in her face, "you saved my life today.  You saved their lives without them even knowing about it!  They willing invited you to stay here earlier and now you're backing out on it?  I saw that's bad manners."

"And what do you know about manners?" she scoffed getting angry.  "A ruffian like you who runs out on a meal, insults people he just met, and probably flirts relentlessly with women!"  Kaoru and Kenshin both had to hold back snickers on the last one.  She prodded him with one finger glaring at him.  "I'm not going to intrude on them, I don't think THAT'S polite."

Kaoru stepped in between them, "Excuse me?  I think you two should stop arguing.  Miss Ama, you can stay here if you wish.  Sano leave her alone!"  She ended her intrusion by smacking him in the gut.

"Now you listen Little Missy-" Sano started to argue.  Before he could finish Yahiko came running into the room.

"Kenshin!  Kaoru!  I ran into Dr Gensai on the way home!" he panted.

"What's wrong Yahiko?" Kenshin asked getting up.

He took a deep breath, "He said he needed to see you too, he said it was urgent!"  Ayame and Suzume came trotting down the hall clinging to Yahiko's legs.  The boy samurai looked down at them, "What about them?"

"I can watch them," both Sano and Ama offered.

"We'll be back soon," Kaoru answered not paying attention as she, Kenshin, and Yahiko bolted out the door.  Ayame ran to Amaterasu flinging her small arms about her legs sniffling.

Amaterasu knelt down hugging her, "What's wrong sweetheart?"

"Grandpa wouldn't let us stay!" she cried.

"Yeah!  We didn't get to stay!" Suzume pouted holding her arms out to Sanosuke.  Sano merely stared at her with an eyebrow raised.  She cried even louder when he didn't pick her up.  Ama turned and glared at him making him pick the child up.  "Sanosuke?  Why didn't we get to go too with Grandpa and Uncle Kenny and Auntie Kaoru and Yahiko?"

He scrunched his head thinking of a good excuse, "Hopefully not the same reason they wouldn't let me go!"  That made her laugh and she played with his red bandana.  "Hey watch it!" he laughed twisting his head away.  He turned over to Ama, "How you holding up?"

She smiled at his question; Ayame had stopped crying and was hugging Amaterasu as tight as her little arms could manage.  "Why don't we do something fun huh?"

"Like what?" Sanosuke asked still trying to dodge the grabbing hands that threatened to braid his hair again.

"Like what Ama?" Ayame asked letting go of her death grip.

"Well," she thought about it exaggerating her actions to amuse the two children, three if she counted Zanza.  A thought struck her and she nearly burst out laughing as she said it aloud, "I could beat up Sagara!  That would be entertaining!"

"Hey!" he defended glaring at her.  The two girls giggled and cheered egging them on.  "Hey," Sanosuke smiled pointing at her, "you just called me Sagara.  All day you've been calling me Zanza and now all of a sudden it's Sagara.  I think you're starting to warm up to me."

She rolled her eyes standing up, "Please.  Don't flatter yourself Zanza."  Sanosuke sighed at her going back to his gang fighter name.  "How about we go for a walk?  You two can show me the sights in Tokyo!"

"Yah!  That's sounds great!" the girls cheered.

"Alright then!" Sano cheered throwing a fist in the air.  "First stop all the old fighting grounds!"  Amaterasu looked at him shocked and covered Ayame's ears.

"Fighting grounds?" she hissed.  "Are you nuts?"

"Hey half of them they were there for," he scoffed patting Ayame on the head.

She sighed, but seemed content and smiled at Ayame, "If you girls are alright with it, then let's get going!"  Sano set Suzume down letting her run to Ama's side.  She in turn glared at him, "No foul language, and no horror stories!"

"Now why-" he started but huffed and shrugged it off.  _Fine then, be a bitch for all I care.  Not like your opinion of me matters anyway._  He shoved his hands in his pockets and followed the three girls out.

After about half an hour of walking around, Amaterasu had heard only two or three of the famed fights of Kenshin Himura the Wanderer and the small group that hung out at the dojo.  Suzume suddenly tugged on Sanosuke's pant leg.  He looked down giving her a smile, "What's up kid?"  She only responded by holding her arms out to him and pouting.  "What?

"What is it?" he asked utterly oblivious to her gestures.

"Pick her up," Amaterasu suggested.  Sano looked at her with a raised brow.  "She wants to be picked up.  That's the universal gesture for up."

"The babysitting thing from back home huh?" he asked complying with the young girl's wishes.  She clung to his neck nearly choking him and causing him to cough, "Whoa, ease up a little.  Ack.  Come on!"

Ama gently pried her fingers looser, "Careful Suzume.  He wont let you fall, don't worry."  The girl giggled and just to prove it waved her arms in the air testing their promise.  "Where are we going to next?" she asked Ayame who was content with walking by her side.

"Let's go visit the shrine!" she cheered jumping up and down.

"Shrine?" Sanosuke asked.  Thinking about it he laughed, "Oh!  You mean where we had to fight all the sumo wrestlers and that buddy of yours saved you!  Alright, it's a long walk though."

"We're tough!" Ayame argued.  "Just like you and Uncle Kenny!  We won't stop or slow down!  We can walk for hours!"

"Yah!  Hours!" Suzume agreed fiercely nodding her head.

"Well if that's the way you feel let's get going," Ama chuckled.  Sano watched as Ayame grabbed her hand walking proudly as if she was proving how tough she was. Ama's eyes were bright and seemed to smile from the inside at seeing the happy children and people around her.  _It almost seems fake though, as if she was just putting on a happy face for the girls.  I wonder how upset she was by the news from Kenshin about the man who killed her parents.  Her eyes sure are pretty when they light up like that._  "You three have told me about fights between Kenshin and someone, or even Kaoru or Yahiko, but what about you Zanza?  I'd think you would have a few good stories to tell."

He puffed out his chest looking around him, "Well I haven't been in any story worthy fights lately, but the ones I have been in are too gory for these two to hear."

"What about Sensei?" Suzume asked tilting her head with childlike curiosity.

"Sensei?" Ama echoed sounding interested.

"I can't believe I forgot about that!" he gasped.  Turning the girl in his arms he asked, "Now how did you think of that?"

"The bridge!" she giggled pointing to the ground.  The other three looked around realizing they were waling on a bridge.  To Sanosuke it was the very bridge that he, Kenshin, and Sensei had fought against Toma and his vicious assassins.  He set Suzume down kneeling for a moment as the other two stopped watching.

"Ok smarty, where was the carriage?" he asked winking at her.  She ran of a few feet away and jumped up and down signifying the spot.  "So that means I was right about here," he mused finding his place as well.  He spun around to face the girls, "Surrounded by a dozen swordsmen at least!"  The two girls giggled at his playfulness; he took a peek at Ama to see her reaction, but she was just shaking her head sadly.  He stood up straight continuing, "You see they were going to kill the man in the carriage, a high ranking official.  I knew that Toma and his men had taken Sensei with them, and he being a good friend of mine I couldn't let them push him back to the life of killing he had given up."

"Of course not," Ama responded watching as the two girls ran around helping point things out to her.  "So what happened?"

"Sano ran out of nowhere!" Ayame cheered.

He jumped in place as she said that, "Right!  So I was protecting the official and he ran away.  So a bunch of the men go to attack me, and I just swing right through 'em!"  Ayame ran towards him as if she were the one attacking him and he picked her up swinging her around.  "They didn't even get a chance to draw their swords before they were," he pointed at Suzume who fell over on the ground, "boom.  Down for the count.

"Then I went to go help the official as he was chased down, but Toma pulled his sword," he continued setting down Ayame.  She held her arm up as if it were a sword.

"Don't even think about it!" she growled trying to make her voice deep.  Sano turned his head hearing Amaterasu laugh watching the scene played out before her.

"Then of course Kenshin showed up," he explained.  Suzume had taken the part of Kenshin and ran in trying to tackle her sister.  "But he didn't do that.  So while Toma was busy with him, me and Sensei knocked the rest to the ground!"

"Well what did Toma do once he was defeated?" Ama asked egging the girls on.

"He was going to kill himself!" Ayame gasped.

"Yah kill himself!" Suzume cheered.

Sano went over to the two ruffling their hair, "But Sensei wouldn't let him, and he took his sword from him.  Now you have to understand that Sensei promised me he wouldn't ever hold another sword again.  So, I snatched it from him, smiled, and threw it into the river!"  He pointed out across the water behind Amaterasu making her look over her shoulder almost expecting to see it splash.  "So, that was my little part in that.  Not too exciting."

"What about the sumo wrestlers?" Ama asked getting confused, "Where were they?"

"No Ama!" Ayame huffed.  "That was later!  Not here!"

"Oh," she blinked back, "I'm sorry.  We should get to the sumos then before I get confused.  What do you say?"

The two girls looked at each other before shouting, "Toskoi!"  Then they attempted to do a little sumo pose of their own making the two older ones laugh.  They walked up laughing and joking about a few other adventures; eventually they dragged out one specific story from Sanosuke.  He had to tell them all about when he went to rescue Megumi from the Oniwanban Ninjas and their mansion fortress.

"A giant ball and chain?" Ama asked looking amazed at his strength.  Sano scratched the back of his head embarrassed, but she only smiled.  "It takes a lot of strength to dodge the first attack, even more to withstand the second, but to break the chain and withstand the blows from its owner?  That takes more strength than I've ever seen Sanosuke."

He smiled shyly as the two girls ran further up the path once they neared the shrine, "Really?  You think so huh?"  She nodded turning her gaze away from him.  _She complimented me?  Wait a second the only time she's been friendly with me she called me Sagara!  Didn't she just-  _When they reached the broken steps that began where the Shrine Gate was, he stepped forward climbing up the first broken mass extending a hand to her.  "You know, you just called me Sanosuke."

She stared at him in shock realizing her slip again.  She ignored his hand leaping over the rubble effortlessly.  She took a glance back at him once she had and smirked before catching up with the young pair.  Sano grumbled to himself as he went after her, "I oughta just stop being nice.  Not like I'm getting anywhere with it."  Her black braids swished back and forth as she went ahead of him; he personally thought they were mocking him, but they obviously were not.

Upon reaching the halfway point of the winding stairs, Amaterasu sat down among them where Ayame and Suzume waited.  "So?" she asked.  "What happened?"  The smile on her face reflected eagerness of a story and patience for the two energetic children.

"A really mean sumo and a bunch of other sumos were up there," Suzume explained pointing to the shrine.  She turned back to where Sanosuke was climbing and said, "Me, Ayame, Auntie Kaoru, Uncle Kenny, Sanosuke, Yahiko, and the sumo were down there."

"Uncle Kenny and Sanosuke ran up the steps to beat up the bad guys!" Ayame cheered jumping up and down.  "But the mean men threw a big rock at us and the sumo guy saved us!" The two burst into a round of 'toskoi' and other things laughing and running up ad down the stairs.  The rest of the story was a bit mumbled together, but Ama assumed that the leader of the sumos fought their friend while everyone else watched.  "Kaoru trained him for a really long time to make him better!"

"Yahiko was really mean to him," Suzume whispered.

"That was a pretty good time actually," Sanosuke sighed cracking his knuckles as he sat down.  "All of the were running around with wooden swords as if they were swordsmen!"

Suzume tugged on his sleeve, "And you teased them about that too!"  She tried to lower her voice to match his, "Sumo wrestlers should leave the swords to people like Kenshin!"  Amaterasu looked like she was struggling to stay polite and not laugh, but Ayame's giggling egged her on and she burst into laughter as well.

"Those smug sumos thought me and Kenshin would go down easily," Sano continued trying to ignore them.  "They especially taunted me because I didn't have a sword."  He scowled at the memory and the thought of being underestimated.  He cracked a small smile remembering the end of that fight, "But they were quite mistaken and had plenty of time to think about it lying on the stairs unconscious."

Ama considered their surroundings for a moment, "It must have been hard having to run up the stairs and fight.  Even more so with all the room being taken by all the wrestlers."

"Naw," he chuckled giving her a sly grin.  "I didn't even touch the stairs!  I shot up into the air running on their head and knocking them down!"  At the word 'up' Suzume gestured to be picked up again, this time to Ama.  She smiled softly lifting the girl onto her lap.  Sano nearly laughed as the girl picked up one of Ama's braids playing with it.  He grinned thinking, "Boy she's good with kids.  Yet the kinds of questions she asks, her past, the way she fought me, and even the look in her eyes make me think that she's got just as many good battle stories as I do."

"Careful, don't pull too hard.  Don't want to rip my hair out do you?" Ama laughed making Sano snap from his thoughts.

"You don't get like this just from a few scrapes and fights.  I have a feeling something else happened to her after she lost her family," he thought as they decided to head back.  "So what was it Ama?  Who the person that made you so cold and yet so caring?  What did they do?"

Yet Sano would not receive an answer from her for quite some time, but the men chasing her would rear their ugly heads in due time.

Eek, did that suck or what?  Ack.  Oh well, I have more maniacal plans waiting for the next chap.  I am pleased with that.  I was also forced for an ending, so please forgive me for that.  Ugh.  Begging for reviews as always.  Don't forget, a happy chapter comes from a happy author, and a happy author comes from lotsa reviews.


	6. Just Watch

BAM!  Betta Chapter!  Well, at least I hope…did I sound guilty when I said that or what?

Review?  Ideas?  Don't yell at me?

"Ayame I think my arms will fall off if I carry you again," Ama laughed patting the girl's hand.  The little girl pouted and turned to Sanosuke.

"No way kid," he sighed.  "I already have Suzume up here and there ain't enough room."  She pouted again making her sister laugh.  "The only reason you're up there is because you promised not to mess with my hair.  So don't forget it."

"Ok!" she laughed kicking her feet.  They were back in the town and nearing the Kamiya School.  On the way back, instead of battle stories, Ama had told ancient myths and legends to the girls.  Some were from the western world; she explained that an old friend of hers was from America and he shared most of the stories with her.  They involved fearsome beasts and brave men and women, similar to Japanese legend, but the heroes reminded Sano of people he knew.  Like Kenshin or Aoshi, even himself at times.  Suddenly the small child yelled out, "Uncle Kenny!"

"Glad to see you four got back safe and sound," Kenshin smiled picking up Ayame.

"Why's that?" Amaterasu asked sitting on the steps of the house, "You sound like there might be danger in the streets."

The two girls ran of again seeing their grandpa, and decide to go inside and get a snack from Kaoru.  Kenshin looked at both Sanosuke and Ama explaining, "The man that Dr. Gensai attended to was attacked by someone wandering the city skirts.  We don't know what he looks like or anything except that he was very strong.  The police are going to watch the city to make sure no one suspicious comes in."

"I have a good remedy for that," Sano scowled punching his fists together.  Ama rose lowering his hands.

"I doubt that's a good idea.  We'd just be attracting attention into the city," she warned.  If she was right, even if she had just made a guess, this stranger could be more dangerous than they believed.  "I think we should wait the night out, and maybe, MAYBE, check things out in the morning."  Sano opened his mouth to argue but Kenshin nodded.

"That's a good idea that it is," he agreed.  "Come on Sano, you and Miss Sorayookami can stay here the night."  He led them inside, Ama earning a glare from Sanosuke, and showed them to spare rooms.

Night hung thickly on the dojo, so a dark figure took it to their advantage.  They crept across the courtyard blending in with the night and shadows.  Once they reached the streets, they clung to walls hid so well not even the great Battousai might be able to find them.  As they ran through the streets, a large figure came into view at the end.  The creeping figure stopped leaping onto a roof to hide easier.

The looming figure carried a large sword, a zanbatou.

Sanosuke's zanbatou.

The zanbatou he had forgotten to rebury after his fight.

The looming figure smirked as he walked along the empty road searching for foolish victims to pummel. The man he attacked earlier was easy prey, but he wanted something more.  A certain fighter he had heard of from his employer was somewhere here.  And from what he was told, this would be an interesting fight indeed.

The person on the roof watched with cold eyes.  They were not welcome on these streets of peace.  Looking down into a nearby window, they saw a small child sleeping with the mother in peace and perfection.  No, the carrier of the sword could NOT be here.  And wouldn't be for long.  They jumped down behind them whistling sharply.

"Huh?"  He turned a grinned.  Perfect.  "And what do you want?"  No reply was given, but the mysterious shadow just stood there for a moment longer.  "Answer me!  Or feel my wrath!"

"Wrath."  They took off past the sword carrier and ran through the street slow enough to keep the chaser on the run.  When they made it to the edge of the city limits the figure disappeared.  Looking around, the man with the zanbatou growled in a deep voice.

"Dammit!  Where'd they go?" he hissed, crooked yellow teeth protruding from his lips.  He looked up seeing a small piece of paper gently drift to the ground.  He snatched it from the air reading it aloud.  "Stay out.  Wait for the midday sun.  Perhaps your prey will be willing then.

"Érsu," the man smiled crumpling the paper.  "Perfect."

"Good morning Miss Karou," Ama smiled stepping into the room she was training in.  "I see you and Yahiko are hard at work."  The two stopped long enough to greet her and went back to their training.  Ama smiled sadly, it was a good thing to see two that were like brother and sister training together.  She knew from experience that the knowledge passed both ways, from sister to brother and brother to sister.

"Hey Amaterasu?" Yahiko asked taking a break.  "Where did you learn that staff fighting?"

Her gray eyes lit up; she liked this question, because nobody ever asked her.  "When I was about your age I used to run off from my guardian's home.  Almost every week.  One day I had gotten over fifty miles away," Yahiko and Karou's eyes lit up in shock, "and I crashed into an old blind woman.  Let's just say that she was well acquainted with another group of fighters and saw the same look in my eyes she saw in theirs."

"How could she if she was blind?" Kaoru asked.

"She couldn't," Ama laughed.  "But that's what she said.  So she told me I needed to learn something I'd actually be able to put to good use.  So she taught me a few things and I added in my own techniques I learned form my father and uncle."  She picked up a broom that rested in the corner of the room.  She lightly held it in one hand and began to balance it on a single finger as she talked, "Although a sword may be better suited for a real fight, I prefer the staff.  Mainly because – "

"No one expects a blind woman to attack," Kenshin's voice finished.  Ama turned around and smiled spinning the broom around two fingers before putting it back.  Yahiko and Kaoru both stood amazed; she may not use a weapon like a sword or knife but she was dangerous nonetheless.  If it weren't for Kenshin's influence on him, Yahiko might have considered learning staff fighting.  Then again, most likely he would have quit that and jumped back to sword fighting.  "I made some breakfast for you all, if you want to come in and have it."

"Alright!" Yahiko sheered putting his sword away like lightening and running to go eat.  Kaoru moved slowly, but she also hurried to go and eat.  Ama smiled at the scene playing out around her; it seemed to be going in slow motion and she smiled leaning on the doorframe and letting it play out.  Everyone had left the room when she snapped out of it, and the only reason she did was because of a sound from behind her.

"Where is everybody?"  Ama spun around seeing Sanosuke walking in groggy and then nearly stumbled as he came into the room.  He smiled at Ama crookedly, "So you did stay the night.  Where's everyone else?"

She led him by the arm to the place where everyone had settled to eat, "Waiting for you to roll out of bed."  He grunted in response and slumped into a seat next to Kaoru and Ama.  Kenshin set down the last tray of steaming food before them.  Ama chuckled as everyone's eyes drooled for the food, "Early risers make the best cooks."

"Ain't that the truth," Sano grinned digging in.  Both he and Yahiko ate with the same amount of vigor that Ama could only stare in shock.  Kaoru picked on them for it, while Kenshin ate with the same slow and polite movements as Ama.  He caught this and merely nodded to himself; it was customary for most samurai's and their families to be trained in etiquette and manners, so he was not surprised by how Amaterasu conducted herself.  She had graceful moves, she rarely smiled except when she deemed it necessary, and she ate only small mouthfuls and they were very discreet.  So discreet that Sanosuke didn't even realize she had eaten until she set her bowl and chopsticks down thanking Kenshin for the meal.  She rose to her feet. "Where are you going?"

"Just a walk," she answered.  She stopped just short of the door and turned back, "It's been many years since I've been to Tokyo, so I wanted to see how much ahs changed.  Thank again for the meal Mr. Himura."  With that, she was gone.

"She's pretty strange," Yahiko scoffed.  "I mean, with all her secrecy and being quiet and then running off for a walk.  What a weirdo."

"Look who's talking," Sanosuke and Kaoru teased.

Amaterasu wandered the early morning streets smiling inside.  _How many weeks has it been since I've been in a big city?  Too much time in the woods and not enough around real people I suppose._  She wove her way around the market place taking in all the smells and sounds and smells and sights and smells…

"What IS that smell?" she giggled out loud.  Ever since she began training without the use of her eyes all of her other senses were heightened, especially her sense of smell.  Taking a slow, deep breath, she found the place where it was coming from.  Sweet, but very strong and musk like, similar to the sweets her father would cook her as a child.

_"Papa!" Amaterasu squealed running through their home.  "Papa!  Papa!"_

_"In here Tera," he called laughing.  Her tiny little legs ran into the kitchen finding her father.  Instead of sweeping her up in his arms, he placed a finger to his lips and winked.  She clung to his leg biting on the edge of her thumb.  He was mixing things in a fry pan, "Don't wake up your mother.  I wanted to surprise her since she was taking such good care of your brother."_

_Amaterasu nodded and watched her father work; he hardly ever cooked, so she never knew if it was even possible.  He was rolling a small dough ball around in the fry pan, which as slick with a mixture of grease and sugar.  The sweet smell hit little Ama's nose and made her smile, sweet things were always a good thing.  "Papa?"_

_"Yes my Little Wolf," he chuckled using her pet name.  She dislodged her thumb and peered into the pan._

_"What is it?" she asked._

_"Secret recipe," he laughed bopping her nose.  After he rolled the ball around in it, the small white dough had turned golden brown.  Once he did that, her father picked it up and quickly tossed it into a bowl filled with spices.  They were musky and made Ama sneeze when she tried to inhale them in.  He ruffled her messy hair before beginning again on another one.  He stopped halfway and turned to her, "Come on, you make some.  I'll guide you through it."_

_So together they made a batch of at least a dozen of the little round sweet, at least four became burnt because of Ama's inexperience.  Just before they finished, her baby brother crawled into the room giggling and gurgling.  Amaterasu dutifully picked him up; even for such a small child she was strong when it came to her brother.  He smiled when she lifted him and pulled lightly on her cheeks.  Her father turned to her with the tray in hand, "You two cubs better get going.  Let's go surprise mother."_

_"Mama!" her brother squealed bouncing in her arms.  Once they had awaken her, the four sat together eating the sweet breakfast treats, Ama made sure she ate the burnt ones since she assumed they had more spices._

"Excuse me," she asked the vendor selling the food that had brought back such memories.  "You wouldn't happen to have any burnt ones would you?"

"Now why would a nice woman like you want the burned ones," the vendor laughed getting a warm tray filled with burnt ones.  "If you actually want to pay for one I'll be willing, but I usually don't sell them to others."

"I like them better," she chuckled handing him a generous sum of money.  "Keep up the business, if I'm ever in town with friends you'd make a killing."

He handed over the treats with a heartfelt smile, "If I had more business like you I could buy my own restaurant.  Have a nice day."  She nodded and continued on her way smiling uncontrollably with her package in hand.

"Miss Sorayookami has been gone a long time that she has," Kenshin sighed handing Sanosuke a sheet.  Sano reached up hanging it along the line that was set almost too high for Kenshin to reach.  "What was it exactly that happened when we returned to the dojo yesterday Sano?"

He sighed hanging up a shirt that he was passed.  "We got attacked, six guys, no big threat.  One we caught acted like someone had sent them after us.  I don't like it, and I'm worried we got ourselves another Megumi on our hands."

"I wouldn't say that Sano, she's very capable of protecting herself.  Fighting you has proven that much."  Kenshin could not get over this woman's style; what was it and why did he seem to recognize it?  Perhaps because her family was with the Imperialists?

"Whatever, but she's just not exactly your everyday average girl," the gang fighter muttered.  "Speaking of the Fox woman, where is Megumi?  I thought you said she was coming over for lunch?"

"That's correct," Kenshin nodded.  "I thought Kaoru invited her, she should have been here already, that she should."  The men exchanged glances fearing the worst based off the experience alone.  At the same time they ran to the gate, both running down the street to where Megumi lived.  "I hope she is safe."

"I hope the no one hired the damned Oniwanban Group again!" Sano added.

Megumi carried a small pail of Ohaki that she was bringing to the Kamiya Dojo as she walked down the street.  Suddenly she heard a sound behind her, so she spun around in shock.  Behind her a large commotion was chasing people from their shops and they all scattered from sight.  Megumi slowly approached the street where the people were running from to make sure no one was hurt.  What she found was an emptying street and a large man bellowing and lumbering about.  He yelled again and started down another alley.  Megumi spun around and tried to collaborate her thoughts, "I should go warn Kenshin and Sanosuke."

As she started back down the street she came, which had also emptied, she was stopped short as the man cut her off.  He turned toward her leering, "Hello lovely.  Where are you going?"

She started to back away realizing she was caught.  "None of your business you brute!"  Just because he was big didn't mean she was going to back down.

"Watch your mouth bitch!" he snapped.  He raised his arm to backhand her, but someone else called out.

"Look out!" a woman's voice shouted.  Megumi was slammed into from the side and was knocked to the ground just in time to miss the blow.  When she brushed her green locks away, she saw a girl snap to her feet raising a fighting staff.  "Stay back!"

"Or what?" the beast muttered.  "You'll poke me?"

"Or you will miss your appointment!" the girl with black hair shouted.  Megumi caught a side-glance of her, seeing her in boys' clothes and with a sack tied to her waist's belt.  The man seemed interested by the threat and grinned an ugly, toothy grin.

"And how exactly do you know about that?" he leered.  In Megumi's opinion, the girl was very brave or very stupid.

She narrowed her gray eyes, "Because Aersu wanted me to come and make sure you didn't start anything stupid.  Don't get into a fight you'll loose before you get into a fight with your opponent!"  She turned over her shoulder to Megumi, "What are you waiting for?  Get out of here!  It's too dangerous!"

"Look who's talking!" she snapped back scrambling to her feet.  Snatching up the pail of Ohaki, she backed up further along the road, pleased that the brute had ignored her now.  "I have friends, I'll make sure they get here to help!"

"Don't need them," she laughed.  _Laughter?  This girl has to be crazier than Sanosuke!  Wait, if she doesn't want their help…_  Her eyes lit up and a smile began to creep onto her face, "Unfortunately, if you wish to make your appointment, you'll have to follow me!"  With that, she ran past the monster and out towards the edge of town.

Megumi started back for the dojo, but she didn't even get ten feet down without spotting Sanosuke and Kenshin running for her.  Kenshin screamed, "Miss Takani, you're alive, that your are!"

"Where've you been?" Sansouke asked stopping short in front of her.  Megumi pointed over her shoulder to where the beast was disappearing.

"There's a girl being attacked!  You have to go help her!" she explained.

"What girl?" Kenshin asked.

"She's in all black, and she carried a staff," Megumi recalled.  Both Sanosuke and Kenshin exchanged glances of worry.

"Amaterasu's in another fight?" Sanosuke asked to no one in particular.

Megumi watched as they ran off down the street, "Wait!  Who's Amaterasu?  Why would she be fighting?  Come back here you idiots!"

Oh lordy that was so filler it was scary……but obviously there's a fight scene coming!!!

Review as always my (hopefully) loyal fans


	7. Return of the Zanbatou

Argh, I'm sorry to anyone who was actually keeping up with this! I've been adding a lot to the story, just not where I should have been adding. But yeah, just when I was making it a point to work on my fics, college started. Dear Christ I'm in college! ACK! But yeah, here's the newest chapter and although it's short I've got lots of good stuff planned for the future.

THANKS GUYS!

_Follow, follow, just keep following! _Amaterasu Sorayookami was slightly worried that the beast of a man was behind her. He was much bigger, so his strides were longer, but she was much faster and able to keep a decent distance between them. She kept running, staff nicked carefully in her hand so as not to trip her as she ran. Smartest decision she had made all day was to keep her bandana around her hand, not her eyes. At the speed she was traveling, and with the weight of seriousness riding on the chase, having her eyes open was vital.

"COME BACK HERE!" the man bellowed. She almost laughed feeling the ground rumble under her fleetly passing feet. _The bigger they are, the harder they fall._ Millions of thoughts ran through her head as she ran: would she keep all the citizens out of danger, could she re-defeat the zanbato, is the woman from the street alright, what friends did she mean, and why the hell was this city so damn big? Finally the end was in sight and she tossed a quick glance back making sure he was still pissed. However, her glance back caught something else: red hair and a white suit.

"Zanza and Kenshin?" she muttered. A few scant trees met her at the town's edge, but she had planned on this and moved through them remembering the clearing only a few meters away. As she broke through them she spun around in time to see the zanbato slamming towards her head. A nimble jump backwards and the roaring weapon crashed into the dirt causing her no harm. A booming growl followed by laughter met her as the sword was lifted and the false owner stepped into the clearing sporting it on his shoulder.

"Little missy thinks she can run away can she?" he leered.

"Little missy DID just run away," she corrected standing calmly in the center of the clearing, "if you would be so kind as to correct yourself."

The man growled hefting the mighty sword up for another attack. He smiled revealing the disgusting teeth Ama was starting to think she saw too much of. "Get ready to die."

"Been ready," she smirked leaning back onto her foot. As he swung downward, she shot into the air propelling herself with her staff and feet. She was still in the air when he looked around for her, confused as to where his prey disappeared.

"Mind your head!" she laughed landing on it. He stumbled forward as she pushed off him, landing in a tree branch. She spun around watching him with a gleam in her eye; finally things were getting interesting. She didn't really want to get involved in it, but now that she was, she was going to enjoy herself. The monstrosity picked himself off the ground shaking the dirt off his face and clothes. She stood tall in the leaves and shouted, "What's wrong, I thought you had good control of that weapon?"

He seethed with rage now. Instead of picking up the fallen sword, he rushed for the tree wrapping his bulking arms around it in rage. Ama tried to regain her balance, but ended up pitching forward, sliding down the massive back as he hefted the tree from its rooted spot in the ground. Hardly even a gasp broke forth from her lips as the tree came swinging for her.

The tree slammed into the ground, dust rising from the newly created trench. Rolling the massive arbor aside, he peered down to see if his prey was now a pile of broken bones. He was let down.

Before he even knew what hit him, Amaterasu slammed her feet into his head, knocking him aside. She had rolled away at the last instant, springing from the dust so she could see her opponent and prepping herself for a forceful attack the moment his guard was down. The large man fell to his side, melon like fingertips feeling his wounded face. She rested herself against the staff, shouting, "I'd advise you to stay down and explain why you were sent here."

"Ama!"

"Miss Sorayookami?" Her head spun to where the shouts came from. The same path she had led her opponent on! It was Kenshin and Sanosuke! Before she could do anything, she felt massive hands wrap about her. Lungs lost what little air was in them; her guard had been let go for mere moments and now she was paying for it. Kenshin and Sanosuke both ran into the clearing, both set for the impending fight.

"Stay back," the behemoth gripping the young woman hissed, "or she dies."

"You will let her go that you will," The samurai warned, hand clicking out the first inch of the reverse blade sword.

"Kenshin," Sanosuke called out, "you take him out and I'll get Ama!"

Attempting to pry off the heavy fingers about her, the raven-haired girl cried, "No! Sagara he has your sword!"

"He what?" both men gasped.

The enemy guffawed, "That stick carries a Zanbatou? No wonder he left it behind."

"You took my sword?" he seethed, wishing he were about a foot taller or closer to his old weapon.

"Sagara!" Amaterasu gaped sensing his want to attack. Rushing in now was the worst thing he could do. Then a plan began to form in her oxygen-deprived mind. Calmly, she said, "Why don't you prove you don't need it?"

"What do you mean?" he gaped.

"Prove your fists are weapon enough!" she shouted, getting pulled back and up from her new friends. "Show this fool how a real man uses the Zanbatou!"

"He did steal your weapon after all Sano," Kenshin offered. He saw logic in Ama's plan, but it was also illogical for him to fight the man when Sano was obviously more wronged by him. "I suggest he set down Miss Sorayookami and fight you."

Deep doe eyes lit up, the idea of a fight brooding deep within the fiery soul of the young fighter. "Sounds like a great idea."

"Me versus him?" the opponent chuckled. "Sounds like a slaughter." Instead of setting Ama down, he threw her over to Kenshin's feet. She stuck her staff to the ground, slowing her crash, but still getting scraped as she hit the dirt. Flexing some of his muscles, he growled, "Come on little man. Win back your sword."

"Careful!" Amaterasu gasped as Sano was hurled into the ground. Both she and Kenshin were waiting off to the side in apprehension.

"Maybe this wasn't the bet idea," the samurai whispered. He was extremely worried now for his friend; Sano had been dancing around the opponent for most of the fight, ad when the larger man ha become frustrated attacking him brutally. Yet Sano would rise up, smile, insult him, and receive the same treatment.

"No, it wasn't," the young woman sighed. As Kenshin began to move forward, she grabbed his arm to stop him. The red head turned, peering at her over his shoulder. Her face was set seriously, but her steel grey eyes were watching Sanosuke struggle to his feet. "It was his sword. I know that the man was after me, but I think Sano needs to let this out. It's been so quiet here I can only assume he's been itching for a fight. He was telling me about the sumo wrestlers that attacked you; he had this light in his eyes, he wanted to relive it. He likes fighting, especially for a cause.

"Look at him," she motioned with a nod. Violet eyes turned to watch as Sano nimbly dodged a powerful attack. Amaterasu repeated, "Look at him."

His eyes were bright. He was bleeding. He was smirking. He was happy. He was Zanza.

"He's doing better I suppose," Kenshin smiled sadly. Sanosuke tripped his opponent, not causing much damage, but slowing him down.

Sanosuke smiled brightly as he landed back on his feet, the bad sign on his back standing out sharply in their eyes. "Hey ugly! I've had enough playing with you. Gonna give me my Zanbatou now?"

"Son of a – " he growled, launching himself forward. His massive fist aimed straight for Sano's head. But he was used to it, so he settled into a fighting stance, catching the fist in his hand. He slid back a few feet, but still had a comfortable advantage.

"I tried to give you time," the brunette chuckle. He threw back the hand, sending the behemoth stumbling away. Sao held up his wrapped hand, smiling viciously. "No way I'll use the Futai no Kiwamae on you, but you'll feel this in the morning!"

Ama practically cheered, seeing the boy rush forward and slammed his fist into the other man's chest. The ground under them rattled slightly from the impact. A long silence settled on the quartet, nobody moving. Finally, Sanosuke moved back, shaking his hand slightly. Then the opponent fell.

"Good job Sanosuke," Ama laughed.

"You shouldn't have played around, that you shouldn't," Kenshin scolded, yet smiled as well.

Sanosuke grinned, pleased with himself as he lifted up the fallen Zanbatou. "That was a good workout, haven't fought like that in a while." He hitched the monster sword on his shoulder, approaching them.

_So this is Zanza. This boy, young man, is the one who could take on a crowd without batting an eye._ The sight made Amaterasu smile; she met him a few steps forward, grinning up at him. "We should get those cuts cleaned up you big ape," she teased in a friendly manner.

"Ape?" he blinked, feigning hurt. Pointing his finger at the fallen man he laughed, "That's the ape! If anything I'm a chimp!"

"Or a chump," she retorted.

"Or a champ," he added. Kenshin was wandering over to the other man, eyes curiously pouring over him to see if there was any sign he would be waking up soon.

Studying the man's breathing he shouted, "We should ask him why he attacked the village, that we should."

"Good idea Kenshin," Sanosuke nodded. Ama opened her mouth to speak, but fear kept her from saying anything. Should she stop them? Keep the secret a while longer? Make up an excuse? What could she do?

"Kenshin – " she began.

"Kenshin! Sanosuke!" a feminine voice cried out from within the woods. All three combatants turned to see who it was approaching them, only to find the raven-haired doctor.

"Miss Megumi," Kenshin gulped. "What are you doing here?"

She stomped her way into the clearing, glaring at both of them. "I followed you because wherever you two go, trouble follows. And with that other girl running by I thought for sure – " She stopped herself, gasping as she spotted the woman who had crashed into her not twenty minutes before. "You! How did you – who are you?"

"Sorry I couldn't introduce myself earlier," the grey-eyed woman sighed. "I was in such a hurry to stop this man," she gestured to the large man behind them, "that I couldn't spare a moment for proper courtesies."

"This is Miss Sorayookami," Kenshin introduced stepping toward the two women. "She's staying at the dojo with us. Amaterasu, this is Miss Megumi Takani."

"Local fox lady and doctor," Sanosuke smirked. Before Megumi could even respond, Ama had whacked him in the side with her staff. He winced, but kept smiling, "Sorry."

"I'm pleased to meet you," Megumi bowed slightly to the younger woman. Turning to add her own verbal attack to Sanosuke she started, "And you! You got beat up again didn't you? If it weren't for Kenshin you'd probably end up a pile of broken bones in the middle of some back alley!"

"Why you – " the ex-gang fighter snarled.

"Actually," Amaterasu interrupted as politely as she could. "Sanosuke was the one who took down the behemoth you see over there Miss Takani. He only received a few scrapes compared to the other man."

Megumi and Sanosuke both stared at her; both shocked to see why or how she had intervened so efficiently. She only smiled at them, reminding the gang fighter suspiciously of Kenshin. He shook his head, rubbing the back of it with his hand in confusion, "Uh yeah. That's pretty true actually. Hey, uh, Kenshin? what should we do with him?"

"We could wait until he wakes up that we could," the samurai nodded.

"Miss Takani?" Amaterasu asked curiously. "You are a doctor correct?"

"Yes, I am."

"Would you check on Sagara's scrapes while we wait? I'll remain here until you're done, then if you would be so kind as to see to a few of my bruises and cuts as well?"

"Not a problem," she bowed again, receiving one from the other woman. Gripping Sanosuke's elbow as tightly as possible, she began dragging him away. "To the clinic with you."

Kenshin and Ama stood beside one another, the red head feeling somewhat guilty about the condition of the younger woman. She looked quite roughed up, her hair sticking out in odd places from her braids, but the serene look on her face made him believe that she was fine. Her face had dirt on it from where she hit the ground, a slight brush-burn developing on the pale cheek. Cautiously, he stepped closer, "Are you alright Miss Sorayookami?"

"Hmm?" she piped up, realizing he had spoken to her. "Oh, I'm fine. Just a few scrapes and bruises." As if proving it, she took a long, deep breath, but when she released it, her breath hitched and she clutched her heart.

He rushed forward, "Miss Sora – "

"No, no," she whispered, standing up straight again. "It's just a little bruising from when he grabbed me. I'll be fine." Her eyes lowered to the ground, closing, "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" he repeated, his eyes studying her for any betrayal of her condition.

She only smiled, "I'm fine, really." She lifted her head to gaze at him with her deep grey eyes. "Believe me, this is nothing."

"If you're sure," the rurouni sighed. He walked over to the unconscious attacker and sat down on one of the extended legs. "Why don't we rest here?"

A slender black brow raised in suspicion. "On top of the man who just tried to kill me?"

PS: The title, err, I just thought it sounded funny. It doesn't make much sense now but it will later!


End file.
